SBIR-STTR Award

Because emerging Moving Target Indication recognition technologies will likely be soon be incorporated into developing systems such as Space-Based Radar (SBR) and retrofitted into new system blocks, (e.g. JSTARS, ASARS), there is an acute need to develop a rigorous theoretical framework for assessing MTI radar sensors. As these emerging technologies are introduced, additional emphasis will likely be placed on MTI tracking and performance. The need exists for instruments to express operational MTI requirements, analogous to the current National Imagery Interpretability Scales; contractors need to have the engineering tools to translate these operational requirements into specifications and conduct trade-off analysis. The needed tools include an MTI image/sensor interpretability radar scale (MTIIRS), an MTI image quality equation (IQE) and MTI engineering models/simulations/algorithms. dNovus has selected, as its academic partner, the Georgia Tech Research Institute Sensors and Electromagnetics Laboratory (GTRI-SEAL) to address the urgent need for MTI engineering models/simulations/algorithms tools and to assist dNovus in developing MTIIRS and the MTI IQE. GTRI-SEAL already has a comprehensive set of MTI engineering models/simulations/algorithms and extensive expertise to provide this support and develop additional needed tools. The developed package of tools will be called the “MTI Toolset”.

Keywords:
Radar, Mti, Image Quality, Interpretability Scale

The need for improved tools for developing, tasking and operating Moving Target Indication Radar sensor systems is becoming more critical as MTI is finding uses in counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and asymmetric warfare. The Moving Target Indication Interpretability Rating Scale Toolkit (MTIIRS Toolkit) will provide the needed tools to support USAF and other MTI sensor development, warfighter tasking and requirements expression and MTI testers.  The MTIIRS consists of an MIIRS scale, MTI sensor quality equation (SQE) and engineering models/simulations for translating from operating engineering/collection sensor parameters to MTI specification parameters. Feasibility was demonstrated in Phase I of this program with regard to requirements feasibility, technical feasibility and commercialization feasibility. In Phase II a prototype MTIIRS Toolkit will be developed, tested and refined. In Phase III, the MTIIRS toolkit will be used to support systems developers in USAF, DOD and commercial organizations.

Benefit:
Benefits of the MTIIRS Toolkit include: · A means for expressing operational requirements for the quality of MTI data, the MTIIRS scale. · A means to translate operational requirements, expressed on the MTIIRS scale, to operational engineering/ collection parameters, the SQE, The SQE supports engineering tradeoff analysis and sensor tasking.  These operating parameters include probability of detection/ false alarm, grazing angle and other measureable parameters. In combination with any user defined environment and target orientation angle constraints, the SQE provides a robust means to determine the adequacy of sensor platform accesses for tasking and tasking countdown (satisfaction of tasking request).  · A means to translate operating engineering/collection parameters to engineering specification parameters such as SINR and SNR.  · The MTIIRS will thus support MTI design engineering tradeoff analysis, engineering specifications development, operational sensor tasking, DT/OT testing and tasking countdown.  

Keywords:
Radar, Mti, Image Quality, Interpretability Scale